Wilfong Land Companies

Wilfong Land Companies is an extension of a well known family land development firm founded by a native Hoosier Ralph Wilfong in 1951 in Carmel, Indiana. Ralph began small and finished his career by being recognized as one of the 100 most influential businessmen in Indiana (Indiana Chamber of Commerce 1997). The family business is now in its 3rd generation, with Ralph’s son Beau at the helm, and his grandson Ephraim, who recently joined the firm.

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Ralph’s career was highlighted by putting Carmel and Westfield, Indiana, “on the map” with his two major developments. In 1967 Ralph purchased 618 acres on 3 corners of 116th Street and Keystone Avenue. He is credited with bringing upscale homes to Carmel at a time when Carmel was a sleepy small town of a couple thousand residents. In 1971 he built Keystone Square Shopping Center (335,000 s.f.). Ralph, together with his son Beau, leased and managed this until his passing in 1997 when it was sold and renamed Merchants Square. It was the largest retail shopping center in Carmel until the opening of Clay Terrace in 2005.

Ralph was a man with incredible vision. He recognized that residential and retail growth had followed a pattern of moving 3 miles northward about every 12-15 years. This had been evident as retail went from the 38th Street to 56th Street corridor, then to 86th Street in the early 1960′s, and finally with his Keystone and 116th Street shopping center built in 1971 and expanded in 1979. Knowing the same pattern would follow, Ralph’s foresight propelled him to purchase 1,350 acres at US 31 and 146th Street in Westfield in 1973. After successfully obtaining zoning entitlements, Ralph built another upscale development and sold his eastern retail area to Simon Property Group. Simon developed this into Village Park Plaza around 1990. In 1997 additional land was sold to The Broadbent Company to build Greyhound Plaza on the west side of US 31.

It was these two mixed use developments that became models for Beau to pursue his 1000 acre Eagletown PUD project. Following in his father’s footsteps, Beau assembled ground 3 miles north of Village Park Plaza and obtained zoning entitlements. The timing continues to follow the 12-15 year range as growth continues its unstoppable march northward.